Disposable broom assembly



Sept. 12, 1967 5 TAMNY DI SPOSABLE BROOM AS SEMBLY Filed April 11, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IvvE/vrae. Suva/v 72401: 4 w: W

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B1 SPOSABLE BROOM AS SEMBLY Filed April 11, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 V I/vvE/vTo/e. S/MON TZMNY IOTZ'OENEHQ United States Patent 3,340,558 DISPOSABLE BROOM ASSEMBLY Simon Tamny, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Wayne Manufacturing Company, Pomona, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Apr. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 541,552 12 Claims. (Cl. 15-182) This invention presents new developments in power driven sweeper brooms of generally cylindrical configuration and comprising bristles mounted to a core or drum structure. As in the case of prevalent broom structures of this type, the invention provides the bristles in the form of so-called brush strips mounted to a core or drum, but otherwise departs from the conventional.

Heretofore the construction of such brooms has been predicated significantly upon the provision of core structures designed for permanency, and the replaceability from time to time of brush strips as the bristles become worn. Involved therefore have been relatively expensive core construction, and various inconveniences and ex' penses necessitated by the brush strip replacements.

The invention has for its general object to provide a new brush construction which because of its initial low cost and simplicity, becomes economically and practically disposable as a core and brush strip assembly when the bristles become worn.

Further contemplated are new mounting and drive features in conjunction with the core proper, that reduce to quick simplicity the broom replacement.

Generally, these objectives are accomplished by formation of a sheet metal core shell in a manner permitting of simple and direct slotting and shaping operations, provision for easy insertion and retention of the brush strips, and the use of mounting and drive parts capable of formation economically as sheet metal stampings.

structurally, the invention provides for the shell formation by the simple and direct process of slotting sheet metal in distended form, then rolling the slotted metal to cylindrical configuration, and as an important feature, deforming the ends of the sheet to form flanges as integral continuations of the sheet so that the shell with its flanges are produceable from the same sheet stock. The slots are formed to extend continuously between the flanges, thus to accommodate brush strips correspondingly accommodated to the full length of the shell and retained between the flanges. This becomes the disposable broom.

For convenient support and drive of the shell, I have devised inserts received within the shell ends and so associated therewith as to be capable of receiving and driving against the brush strips while frictionally engaged against the shell, thus to be easily insertable and removable.

The invention has various additional features and objects, all of which together with the details of an illustrative embodiment will be understood from the following description of the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view showing in perspective the broom core shell as formed after rolling;

FIG. 1A is a fragmentary view showing a variational form of the shell formation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged end view showing the brush strips inserted into the shell;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged showing of the brush strip accommodation Within the slotted shell;

FIG. 4 is a view showing in longitudinal cross section the disposable broom as mounted on a driving shaft with driving means releasably associated with the shell;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the shell driving insert;

' which the shell is rolled; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged section on line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

In reference first to FIG. 4, in the use environment of accommodation within a power sweeper, the disposable broom structure generally indicated at 10 and as detailed in FIG. 2, is mounted on shaft 11, one end of which is driven as by sheave 12 on sleeve 13 splined to or welded at 14 to the shaft, the sleeve being journaled within bearing 15 and the shaft having driving relation with the later described driving head 17 and insert structure 18. At its opposite end the shaft carries a removable sleeve 20 journaled within bearing 22, the sleeve carrying insert plate structure 18a which may correspond to the insert 18 at the opposite end of the shell. The sleeve is retained within and shouldered to bearing 22 by nut 222 which tightens against washer 223.

In considering the core shell and its method of formation, reference is had to FIG. 8 which shows sheet-metal stock 23 which may be slotted at 24 in distended or flattened condition, the slots having such angularity that when the sheet is cylindrically rolled, the slots will have helical pitch as illustrated in FIG. 1. Broken lines 25 are indicative of end flange widths 26 of the sheet into which the slot terminals extend. The shell is cylindrically formed by rolling the slotted sheet and deflecting its ends to form the flanges 26 as they appear in FIG. 1, the flange-forming deflection of the metal being illustrated in FIG. 9. After the shell is thus rolled and flanged, the ends of the space 27 between opposed edges of the metal are suitably closed as by welded strips 28, see FIGS. 2 and 7.

In the manufacture of larger diameter cores it may be more advantageous to make the shells preformed sections and joining them together to cylindrical form. Thus as illustrated in FIG. 1A instead of forming the shell of a single sheet as described with reference to FIG. 1, I may construct the shell of preformed sections 23a each having two or more brush strip receiving slots 24a with flanged terminals 26a, the sections being joined together along overlapping edges as by bolts or rivets 23b. The segments 23a may be initially formed and joined in the flat and thereafter rolled to the cylindrical shape of the shell, or the segments may initially be rolled as cylindrical segments and then joined together as indicated.

After formation of the shell, brush strips, generally indicated at 30 are inserted into the slots 24, each strip comprising an elongated metallic bristle holder 31 of generally omega shape within which is received the doubled ends of the brush bristles 32 which are retained in a usual manner by wire 33 about which the bristles are doubled. Each holder has lateral flanges 34 which are Welded to the outer surfaces of the shell 23. It will be observed in reference to FIG. 4 that the brush strip holders 31 extend into the ends of the slots 24 within the flange bends, thus affording maximum brush or brush strip length in relation to the axial dimension of the shell.

The described shell and brush strip assembly constitutes a brush structure for disposal as against reuse, after the bristles have become worn, such disposability being both practical and economical as compared with for example replacement of brush strips in a retained core, by reason of low manufacturing and assembly costs made possible by the simple sheet metal core configurations and the ease of accommodating the brush strips within the core.

The shell 23 is supported at both ends from the shaft 11 by way of the pair of inerts 18 and 18a which comprise inner plate structures 36 and 36a welded to outer cavitated plates 37 and 37a peripherally bearing against the shellflanges 26, the plates being centrally apertured at 38 to pass the shaft 11. As illustrated in FIG. 6, plates 36 and 36a have uniformly circularly spaced flange segments forming resilient tongues 39 which may correspond in number to twice the number of brush strips. These tongues angle outwardly to an edge diameter such that when thrust into the end of the shell 23, the tongues will deflect inwardly and their abrupt or sharp edges frictionally engage 'the inner surface of the shell. As shown in FIG. 7, alternate spaces 40 between the tongues receive the ends of the brush strip holders 31 so that rotating drive by the plates 36 and 36a is transmitted to the disposable broom structuer by engagement of the tongues 39 against both the brush strip holders and the inner surface of the shell 23.

Referring to FIG. 7, the cavitated plate 37 is polygonally recessed, e.=g., hexagonaly, (as may also be plate 37a) to present about its central area 42 inwardly deflected planar portions 43 for releasable driving engagement by the driving head 17. At this point it may be mentioned that plates '36, 36a and 37, 37a all may be formed simply and economically as sheet metal stampm'gs.

The illustrated type of end drive for the shell is more particularly dealt with in co-pending application Serial No. 430,317 filed February 4, 1965 and assigned to the assignee of the present application. For present purposes it will suflice to describe the driving head 17 as comprising a cavitated plate 44 welded at 45 to the shaft 11. The cavitated shape of plate 44 corresponds to the shape of plate 37 as previously described with reference to FIG. 7, so that when brought together the angular portions 47 of plate 44 bear flatly against the corresponding deflections 43 of plate 37 thus to transmit the rotative head drive and brush support by simple surface interengagement of the parts.

Thus under use conditions the driving head 17 is interengaged with the insert assemblies 18 as shown in FIG. 4. Whenworn, the shell and bristle assembly constituting the brush proper, may be dismounted by first removing bearing 22 from sleeve 20 and withdrawing the sleeve and attached plates 36:: and 37a from the shaft, thus freeing the shell 23 to be withdrawn from plate 36 remaining on the shaft, and from the shaft. A replacement brush is then mountable by a reverse sequence of the simple operations.

I claim:

1. A disposable essentialy cylindrical sweeper broom. structure comprising a sheet metal cylindrical shell having outwardly radial end flanges as integral continuances of the shell metal, circularly spaced slots through the shell and extending continuously essentially longitudinally thereof the distance between said end flanges, and brush strips comprising elongated channel retainers received within said slots and terminating at the end flanges, said 0 channels, being secured to the shell and containing bristles projecting outwardly therefrom.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which the cylindrical shell consits of separately formed interconnected arcuate sections, each containing two or more brush strips.

3. The structure of claim 1, in which the slots have helical angularities.

4. The structure of claim 1, in which into the end flanges.

5. The structure of claim 1, in which the strip channels have flanges welded to the shell.

6. The structuer of claim 1, together with shell rotating drive means received within the ends of the shell.

7. The structure of claim 6, in which said drive means are removably received within the shell and rotatively bear against the strip channels.

8. The structure of claim 7, in which said driving means also bears frictionaly against the shell.

9. The structure of claim 6, in which said driving means comprise circular plates peripherally recessed to receive the strip channels.

10. The structure of claim 9, in which the plate perphe'ries between the recesses are angularly deflected to resiliently bear against the inside of the shell.

11. The structure of claim 10, including outer plates secured to the first mentioned plates and bearing against the ends of the shell.

12. The structure of claim 11, in which said outer plates are centrally cavitated with flattened faces for engagement by correspondingly flattened faces of driving means.

said slots extend References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 968,820 8/1910 Vardell 1s-1s3 x 2,653,340 9/1953 Cave 15-183 x 3,036,323 5/1962 Nelson 15-1s3 FOREIGN PATENTS 736,323 '9/1955 Great Britain.

50 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

FELDMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DISPOSABLE ESSENTIALY CYLINDRICAL SWEEPER BROOM STRUCTURE COMPRISING A SHEET METAL CYLINDRICAL SHELL HAVING OUTWARDLY RADIAL END FLANGES AS INTEGRAL CONTINUANCES OF THE SHELL METAL, CIRCULARLY SPACED SLOTS THROUGH THE SHELL AND EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY ESSENTIALLY LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID END FLANGES, AND BRUSH STRIPS COMPRISING ELONGATED CHANNEL RETAINERS RECEIVED WITHIN SAID SLOTS AND TERMINATING AT THE END FLANGES, SAID CHANNELS, BEING SECURED TO THE SHELL AND CONTAINING BRISTLES PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM. 